Lack Of Rain Hurting Farmers And Consumers

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NORTH ST. LOUIS COUNTY, MO. (KTVI) - The last decent rainfall we had was June 16 when we received less than an inch of rain. Overall May and June have been very, very dry, with a rain deficit of about 4 inches. And the National Weather service predicts these drought like conditions will persist or even intensify over the next three months.

It's been extremely tough on farmers. And consumers will soon start feeling the effects of the drought. The dry weather has lead to a lower harvest and that's pushed up the prices on everything from corn to soybeans.

That will lead to higher prices for at the grocery store, especially as producers of beef, pork and chicken look to pass on higher animal feed costs.

Monday Governor Nixon asked federal agriculture officials to start evaluating the damage to Missouri's crops and livestock. The assessment is the first step in seeking a disaster declaration for the state.

"Governor Nixon says it’s pretty significant. As you move to areas of the sate southeast of Missouri it's as much as 11 inches under precipitation already. We're only in June."

If a disaster declaration is issued for any Missouri counties, farmers would be eligible for emergency loans.